Memorial Trees Give Loved Ones a Green Goodbye

Whether you or a loved one has chosen a traditional cemetery burial or an alternative, those left behind often desire to place a memorial in a setting that reminds you of their interests, passions, and lifestyle.  

Nature provides the perfect setting for many who loved the great outdoors while they were alive. Honoring a loved one with a memorial tree is a beautiful and lasting tribute. Trees symbolize life, growth, and continuity, making them perfect green memorials. In addition to providing a meaningful place to remember your loved one, they also offer numerous environmental benefits. Here are simple ways you can honor someone with a memorial tree.

Plant a Tree Yourself

DIY backyard memorial tree plantings can be a deeply personal and fulfilling way to remember a loved one. According to LovetoKnow, you’ll want to follow these steps to plant your own memorial tree:

Choose the Type of Tree

Select a tree appropriate for your region and consider its symbolic meaning. For example, a lilac symbolizes rebirth, while a pecan represents wealth.

Determine Your ‘Hardiness’ Zone

Check with your local nursery or look online to ensure the tree suits your area’s climate.

Find the Best Spot

Choose a location where the tree can grow freely, with plenty of sunlight, and be easily viewed.

Dig and Plant

Dig a hole a foot deeper and twice as wide as the root ball. Loosen the soil around the hole, water deeply, and fill in with soil.

Dedicate a Tree in a Public Green Space

As AARP explains, our parks are “places where memories are made, honored or stored.”

Public green spaces are a great place to honor memories with a plaque, bench, tree, or donation that celebrates a loved one. 

Sometimes, contributing financially toward the stewardship of a favorite place is a way of honoring your loved one by supporting the causes they believed in. 

An online search for tree, bench, or park donations should help determine if your city or one nearby has such a program. Whether you live in Boulder, Colorado, Kirkland, Washington, or New York City, the local parks department will likely have a program to help you remember your loved one outdoors.

Purchase an American Forests Memorial Tree 

You can also purchase a memorial tree to be planted in honor of a loved one. Our Memorial Store trees are planted through American Forests, the oldest nonprofit conservation organization in the nation. American Forests conserves and restores North American forests throughout the United States and in parts of Canada and Mexico. Only native trees to the region will be planted, generally in the spring or autumn, based on guidance from the U.S. Forest Service.

Contribute to Tree Planting Programs

In addition to American Forests, several organizations offer tree-planting programs where you can donate in honor of a loved one:

• Arbor Day Foundation: Helps bolster the U.S. Forest Service's efforts with donations that can be acknowledged with a card in your loved one’s memory.
• One Tree Planted: A global nonprofit that has planted over 91 million trees in more than 78 countries since 2014.
• Better Place Forests: Buries your loved one’s ashes under a tree of your choosing, including a ceremony and marker. 
• Jewish National Fund: Founded in 1901, the JNF has planted over 250 million trees in Israel in memory of a loved one (of all faiths) while supporting the region's ecological health. 

Support Local Reforestation Efforts

Local reforestation projects often welcome donations or volunteers. Supporting these initiatives helps restore local ecosystems and creates lasting tributes to loved ones. Check with local environmental groups or forestry services to see how you can contribute. You can also visit Tree Nation, home to 83 reforestation projects worldwide. 

Trees: The Ultimate Living Memorial

Trees are a powerful symbol of life and growth. Memorial trees are an ideal sympathy or memorial gift that also provides healing benefits to our planet:

• Trees absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, helping to mitigate climate change and improve air quality.
• Trees offer shelter and food for wildlife.
• Trees help retain water in the soil, reducing runoff, preventing erosion, and improving water quality.

Whether you choose to plant a tree, purchase one through our Memorial Store, or support a tree planting program, you contribute to a greener and healthier world. Many people find it cathartic to plant a tree in a loved one’s name as they navigate grief. Each tree planted in memory of a loved one stands as a testament to their life and legacy, providing a lasting tribute that grows and flourishes over time.

To learn about another unique way to memorialize your loved one, look at our article Cremation Jewelry: a Growing Trend to Memorialize Loved Ones.